It has always been known that pieces of meat are flattened, in particular if they are to be processed in schnitzel form. On the one hand, this flattening operation is carried out with the aim of increasing the size of the pieces of meat while simultaneously reducing the thickness. In addition, the flattening operation causes the meat to become tender. Connective tissue is known to make meat tough. The flattening operation causes the fibrils to be rearranged and the connective tissue between the fibrils to tear. Devices such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,202 and EP1542540 which, in a manner comparable to the conventional operation of beating the meat, are intended to make it possible for the pieces of meat to be flattened.
FIG. 1 shows graphically such a flattening apparatus 100 for flattening foodstuff 112 such as meat where two roller systems 101, 102 are placed side-by-side adjacent to a lower conveyor belt 108 and where opposite to the two roller systems are rigidly mounted flattening plate structures 103, 104 positioned adjacent to an upper conveyor belt 107 distally away from the roller systems 101, 102. The flattening of the foodstuff 112 is performed by means of conveying the foodstuff via the upper and lower conveyor belts that run in the same direction, while simultaneously rotating the roller systems 101, 102. As depicted in FIG. 2 the roller systems 101, 102 shown in FIG. 1 comprise multiple of straight and parallel outwardly protruding structures 201 with a kind of a depression 202 there between. The roller systems are arranged at a distance from the lower conveyor belt 108 such that when the outwardly protruding structures 201 point upwards as shown in figure lb they press onto the lower conveyor belt creating an upwardly oriented force 110, 111 and thus a compression of the foodstuff when the foodstuff is positioned between the roller systems and the flattening plates. FIG. 1c depicts the scenario where the depression 202 is facing the lower conveyor belt 108 causing a release from the force/pressure state shown in FIG. 1b. Accordingly, this continuous pressure- release state provides a kind of a massage for the meat where the aim is to make the meat thin and/or larger and/or to provide a displacement of the fibres in the meat to make it more tender.
The disadvantage with this apparatus is however that the apparatus is noisy during the flattening, where the position shown in figure lb where the outwardly protruding surface structure 201 hits the lower conveyor belt 108 and thus the meat simultaneously, creates loud hammering sound. Even when no foodstuff is present the impact from the outwardly protruding surface structure 201 and the lower conveyor belt 108 creates a noise that can be very irritating for an operator of the apparatus.
The inventor of the present invention has appreciated that there is thus a need for an improved flattening apparatus that creates much less noise than the above mentioned apparatus such that the working conditions for an operator of the apparatus are greatly improved and has in consequence devised the present invention.